You Can't Go Home Again
by Allen Oz
Summary: Sokka's on a mission to find Azula, Zuko is trying to figure out what to do with the Colonies in the Earth Kingdom, and Aang and Katara deal with the fact that Aang needs a place to live that isn't a tomb. It just goes to show you can't always return home
1. The Dream

Sokka's Quest

Chapter 1: The Dream

The second time Fire Lord Zuko had the dream again, he was not worried. After all, only a week had passed since the war had ended and it was probably just the anxiety and stress of all of it ending. He tried just rolling over in the royal bedchamber, but the words of the blue dragon would not leave him:

"Sleep Fire Lord Zuko, sleep…. just like Mother!"

He shrugged it off, it was in the past, he conquered that part of himself, and he'd saved has nation. He walked towards the great hall and sat down for a breakfast with Mai. She'd already been seated and smiled, something he still took getting used to. He felt like that more depressed side of her had fallen away since the war ended, though the bleak sense of humor remained.

"You look well rested," she said.

"Having the weight of a nation on your shoulders will make anyone sleep like a baby Platypus Bear," he said reassuringly.

"He will tell you where she is. If not, we'll find her on our own."

Zuko looked to his plate of noodles and the glass of Uncle Iroh's imported Jasmine tea. He didn't feel all that hungry. He pushed his chair away and went towards the balcony that overlooked the small pond and courtyard where Mai and Zuko played as children.

"I've been having the dream again. I think she might be in trouble. Real trouble, but I don't even know where she is."

Mai was about to get up and walk over to comfort him, but the royal guard rushed in abruptly.

"Fire Lord Zuko, your sister has escaped early this morning before dawn," The first guard said. "It appears the Rough Rhinos have rebelled and were laying in wait off the coast for her escape."

Zuko said nothing. He let out a breath of fire through his nostrils. "Well," he said, "Father hasn't wasted anytime in trying to reclaim his throne."

"Actually sire, your father is still secure in his cell," the first guard reported.

"He would only slow her down, being unable to fire bend now. I think I should go pay him a visit," Zuko said. He looked to Mai and said, "I need you to do something while I'm gone."

"Alright I'll go bring Azula back." She smirked and said, "Wow, I've always wanted to say something like that."

"No. I want you to send a messenger hawk to Sokka of the Southern Water tribe."

"What? Why?"

"Because he owes me a favor," Zuko said as he left the banquet hall.

The metal gate clanged closed behind him. Dank, wet, stone walls surrounded Zuko as he walked the hall towards his father's cell. He was escorted by two guards on both sides, both in full uniform with faceguards.

Ozai was there, smiling his usual overconfident glare at Zuko. His cell had a plat and few pieces of bread laying on the floor next to him. Oddly enough, Zuko felt his father was more at home living in this rank cage like an animal than as a royal king. Some king, Zuko thought, as long as I don't burn the fire nation to the ground, I'll have a better legacy than him.

"Are we going to make these visits a weekly thing, Fire Lord?" Ozai said. It was never "Zuko," never "son," just "Fire Lord," and it still irritated Zuko even though he knew his father wouldn't ever show anything but disdain for him.

"Actually, I've decided you're too close to the capital for my comfort, you're being transferred to the Boiling Rock," Zuko said.

Ozai let out a laugh, "And what new crime did I commit that is worth of moving me to such a _notorious_ prison?"

Zuko opened the door to the cell and the two guards grabbed each of his arms, "You let Azula out."

"Did I? A week on the throne and the new Fire Lord is already paranoid. I couldn't have possibly done that from my cell," Ozai said, never ceasing his grin.

Zuko went into the cell. He started feeling the cold stones of the cell. Finally, he found a stone that gave way on his right hand, but nothing happened. After several more minutes, he found a stone on the floor that, when both pushed together, revealed a hole large enough for Ozai to squeeze through under the cot.

Zuko looked back at his father, who was quite furious at him now and clenching his teeth instead of grinning.

As they walked Ozai out of the prison, Zuko explained. "I never understood why the day you were thrown in here you never stopped grinning. Then I asked the Fire Nation's Chief Engineer who built this prison. After learning you built it, I realized that if you could plan for an eclipse, you could've planned this prison in case Iroh took the throne back from you. The Boiling Rock was built by Fire Lord Sozen and he wouldn't have revealed any secrets about it to you."

The former Fire Lord said nothing as he was led towards a Fire Nation blimp just outside the prison. Yet, before e could reach it, Zuko pulled on his shoulder hard. His hand was fire bending, not enough to burn, but enough to hurt.

"Very well, you have my attention," Ozai said over the roar of the blimps engines and winced in pain as smoke started to rise off the burn.

Zuko pulled back. "I need to know one thing before you leave. Where is my mother?"

Ozai smiled again, "Oh you won't need to worry, Azula will be bringing her to you for a 'family reunion' very soon."

"I guess we'll be short one member then. The warden at the Boiling Rock keeps mesending requests to repair the Gondolas, but you know, they seem to keep getting lost. One of these days, that cable might just… snap. I speak from experience Father, those things aren't very safe."

"You wouldn't dare," Ozai said, trying to see if Zuko was bluffing.

"I told you before you were lucky the Avatar spared your life. Your luck is going to run out if you don't tell me where she is right now; your choice."

Ozai looked at his son and for a moment Zuko saw something in his father he'd never seen before: fear. His father was powerless and Zuko knew he could get away with such a plan though he had no intention of carrying it out. The reason he knew it was working is because he knew that while his father was on the throne, his greatest fear was losing his kingdom to the Avatar, if Zuko acted like he had the same fear of his father, Ozai would conclude his son would do anything to keep the throne

"Bring me a map," said Ozai.


	2. A Different Kind of Quiet

Chapter 2: A Different Kind of Quiet

Chapter 2: A Different Kind of Quiet

Sokka sliced the vines away with the new sword Master Piandao gave him. Without the Space Rock Sword, didn't feel the same as he cleared a path from the stones stairs of the Southern Air Temple up into the foyer of the main hall just after Giatso's statue. It smelled of wet stones, vines, and a few summer flowers in bloom.

He looked back to his sister and Aang, they hadn't stopped holding hands since they'd gotten off Appa, but the minute they'd gotten off, Aang's whole personality changed. His energy was gone and there seemed to be this anxious, searching look on his face. _Is he still holding out hope that there might be some Airbender around that will come out of hiding now that Ozai has been defeated?_ Sokka wondered.

Momo flew by and Sokka watched as he landed on a ceiling vine and looked down at Sokka upside-down. _Well, if there's one group member that hasn't changed since Ozai, it would be Momo,_ he assured himself. Although a lot of things had changed in the past week, he was glad that a few things stayed the same.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself Aang?" Katara asked in her motherly tone.

"I'm sure Aang will be fine. After all, he's a man now! I mean, who wouldn't be a man after beating the firelord and restoring balance to the world? That's the manliest thing I can thank of a man doing, am I right?"

"And if a girl avatar had done it? Like Kyoshi?" Katara retorted.

"That… would be very un-lady-like." Sokka said just in time to be doused with what he used to call "magic water" on his head.

"Hey, I was only kidding." Sokka said, "Aang, can I get a little air bending fast-drying technique?"

Aang blew a gust that left a defining Mohawk atop Sokka's head which Momo must have mistook for a rodent because he started attacking it.

"Ow, Momo quit it!" Sokka shrieked as Aang and Katara stood laughing at him.

"This reminds me the day we found Momo." Katara said.

"Some days I wish we could un-find that crazy lemur," Sokka said.

They came up a winding, daftly chilly, staircase. Up two floors of what Sokka started to understand were the dormitories of the monastery. Down the hallway, they found a door with Aang's name on it in the unique calligraphy style of the air nomads. The door creaked open and Sokka put sheathed his sword and found a stool to sit down as Katara and Aang followed him in. Momo, being Momo, found the nearest set of cobwebs (on the windowsill) and started devouring everythingon them. Aang's room reminded Sokka of his own room, but with the main difference being the difference of their cultures and the fact that most of Aang's stuff was strewn about the floor. There were fewer toys, but while his toys had to do with the climate of snow and ice, Aangs were small gliders, propeller toys, even a wooden man with a cloth parachute.

Katara and Aang sat down on the bed next to each other.

"Well,you're back home Aang," Katara said.

Sokka watched as Aang rolled his eyes and said, "It sure doesn't feel like home, Katara. It's so... quiet. Not the kind of quiet I'm used to while meditating, but a different kind of quiet. I guess it will just taking some getting used to."

There was a large grunt outside as Appa could be seen flying and grazing just outside the window. Sokka found it odd that Appa wasn't taking this usually post-flight time for a nap. _Maybe he doesn't feel like it's home either_, Sokka thought. _Okay, this is only going to get worse and more depressing, think Sokka!_

"Why don't you two run over to the air ball field and play a game while I get Aang's stuff from Appa?" Sokka suggested.

"Umm, Sokka, I don't know if you forgot or something, but I can only bend water," Katara said.

But before she could object anymore Aang had already grabbed her arm and started for the door saying, "that's a great idea Sokka, I've never played against a waterbender before!"

Just as Katara was out of sight, Sokka could hear his sister yell, "Okay, but no earth bending!"

"And she thinkings being able to bend is a good thing, after the whopping he gives her, Katara will wish she were more like me," Sokka said to himself as he walked towards the windowsill.

"Appa!" he called. "Where's my favorite flying bison?"

"You mean there's more than one of them?" A familiar voice said.

Sokka froze for a moment. A year ago, that voice would've made him reach for his sword like his fingers were instinctively itching to do. Though Zuko did look a lot less menacing in his Fire Lord Robes.

"Zuko? A week as firelord and you're already taking a vacation?" Sokka said.

"I need to talk with the Aang, something has come up. Something really big." Zuko said.

"Ozai has his bending back and the comet made a quick rebound back this way?!"

"What? No, nothing like that," Zuko said.

Sokka sighed and said, "Whew for a moment I thought the entire peace thing was in jeopardy again."

"It is. Just not with my father involved this time." Zuko said.

"I can take you to Aang and Katara, they're out playing Air Ball." Sokka said and he started for the door, but Zuko stopped him.

"Before you go, I need to ask you a favor."

"Well after the boiling rock, I guess I do I kind of owe you. What's up?"

"I think I know where my mother is, but with what's come up, I can't search for her myself. My people need me right now, so I was wondering if you could help me," Zuko said.

"So all I have to do is find your banished mom, doesn't sound too hard."

"There's just one problem. My father gave me her location, but I think he's lying. He helped Azula escape and I let her out of the Fire Nation so someone could follow her to where my mother really is."

"You what?!" Sokka said. "She nearly killed you, Aang, your uncle, and I'm pretty sure she single-handedly convinced the Dai-Li to give her the earth kingdom on a silver platter!"

"Tai-Li and some Kyoshi warriors are already following her. You won't be going alone. If you can meet Suki on Whale Tale Island, you'll have help."

"So you're sending a bunch of non-benders against your crazy sister?" Sokka asked.

"The benders are needed elsewhere." Zuko said as he finally let Sokka out of the room.

As Sokka started out, Zuko leaned into the room and looked around saying, "It's funny to think that, a year ago, a twelve-year old kid was in here playing without a care in the world. Now he's the world's hope for peace; our savior."

Katara and Aang were found at the Air Ball field both keeled over and panting heavily. Both were drenched with sweat. Zuko rushed over as if he were worried someone was hurt, but Sokka knew better.

Aang got to his knees to utter gaspinlgy, "Aang eleven, Katara- Zuko?"

Katara looked at Aang puzzled, "That's not a number," she said. Then she looked and saw Zuko coming with an airship hovering just behind the Air Temple.

"I claim this Air Temple for the Fire Nation!" Zuko said trying to impersonate his sister.

"Cute Zuko." Katara said. "But if you wanted to say hello, Aang was going to make his first world tour in a few weeks after doing some more water bending training with me," she smirked and finished saying, "then you get to deal with Toph calling you 'Twinkle Toes' for a whole month!"

"How is Toph?" Zuko asked.

"She's training a new group to be the Earth Kings royal guard. To replace the Dai-Li. They're going to be called The Blind Bandits. King Bumi is helping," Aang said, proud of his friends.

"Not that it's not nice seeing you and all, but you could've sent a messenger hawk if you wanted to know that." Katara said, bluntly at that.

"I was going to write to Sokka for a favor, but that's not why I'm here. There's a problem brewing in the Earth Kingdom and I need the Avatar's help."

"What's up?" Aang asked.

"My father made many colonies in the Earth Kingdom, most are home to Fire Nation citizens. When I called the Army out of the Earth Kingdom on m coronation, I did it as a sign of peace, but those colonies are being attacked by earth benders at night. The earth king isn't behind it, but it's causing a huge rift between us. He wants to send earth kindgom soldiers to protect the colonies while we discuss what to do about them. My people want the Fire Nation soldiers back," Zuko said.

"Either way, it doesn't look very peaceful," Katara said.

"Exactly." Zuko said.

"You want me to go protect the colonies while you talk with the Earth King?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd sit in on the talks. We need an outside perspective on this," Zuko said.

"Why not just give the colonies up," Sokka aksed. "It is Earth Kingdom land isn't it?"

"Maybe, but Fire Nation citizens have been living there for two, even three generations. They don't see it that way, they see it as home," Zuko said. "I don't know about you, but I'd fight to protect my home."

"Why don't we just find the earth benders attacking and get them to stop?" Aang said.

Zuko paused for a minute. The wind howled as Sokka watched him turn around in his robes and take the place in. He sighed and said, "Do you plan on staying here?"

Aang was caught off guard by the question. "What? I... don't know. It's kind of..."

"Desolate." Zuko finished. "The war changed it. The war changed all the nations. I don't know if just ordering those people to leave their homes is the right thing to do. Maybe our people would understand each other if the colonies stayed, maybe things would just go back to the way they were. We can't just stop the earth benders and pretend the colonies aren't there."

Zuko walked up to Aang. "Don't you see? This is why I need your help."


	3. Searches, Seizures, and Silence

Chapter 3: Searches, Seizures, and Silence

Chapter 3: Searches, Seizures, and Silence

Captain Lee swiped the dust off the shoulder of his uniform and looked to the hull door of the wheelhouse just in time to see a short, brown-bearded man with a sword around his belt walk in wearing a general's uniform. The man immediately looked at the captain and gave a gruff grunt.

"Captain, what is the meaning of this insubordination?! When General Wang Fire steps aboard a ship he expects to be treated like the war hero he is!" the general said.

Immediately Captain Lee and the seven others in the room snapped to attention. Just after they had, the new Fire Lord, Zuko, stepped calmly inside.

"General, is everything in tip-top shape?" the Fire Lord asked his general as all them watched General Fire pull a hand of dust off the ship's compass.

"Tip-top yes, but not spic and span like my navy ship. What exactly do you _flyboys_ do all day? Put your heads in the clouds? If this were my ship I'd have my crew licking the dust bunnies off of it till they couldn't tell the difference between grease and komodo dragon chicken," the general said disapprovingly. "Just how exactly do you expect to go on a classified mission with a ship this filthy?"

"Classified?" Captain Lee said surprised. "Apologies sir, Fire Lord Zuko, we shall begin cleaning of the ship immediately. How long do we have before we depart?"

"Private, didn't I just say that the mission was classified? Departure is a need-to-know basis and you don't need to know till I say we're leaving," The general said, spattering a bit of spit on his beard as he spoke.

"Sir, I'm a captain, not a private," Captain Lee corrected.

"Well if you want to stay a captain and not be demoted to private and sent to the front, I strongly suggest you start cleaning this ship right."

"Sir, I thought we were at peace, there is no front."

"Captain, I would start a war just so I could send you to a front if you're not out of my sight in the next five minutes. Now get!"

With that, Captain Lee scrambled to the door. On his way out, he felt it strange to see the Fire Lord sitting there watching all this with a smile on his face. Lee felt he should either be equally angry for the ship being so unclean or trying to calm this crazy general he'd never heard of down.

"Captain," the Fire Lord said to him on his way out. "General Fire has been on secret missions this whole war, he has not set foot in the fire nation in his whole career, give him a good ride. I will be leaving to travel with the Avatar to the Earth Kingdom soon. Also, keep his name out of the log books."

"Yes, Fire Lord Zuko."

In Zuko's private quarters aboard the ship, Sokka was able to do away with the sweaty beard and over-the-top demeanor. Although he'd always feared these ships before, he also secretly felt he'd missed seeing the fire nation inventions. The smell of their oils, the cold feeling of their pipes; as dangerous as they'd been before, he was still amazed by them.

"Pretty good performance, can you keep it up for the days travel it will take?" Zuko asked. Sokka watched Zuko actually laugh at the getup Sokka wore. He was smiling, enjoying himself. Sokka liked this side of Zuko. He'd said before he's never happy Sokka wondered if gaining friends had changed that.

Sokka wiped the spittle off the beard while holding it in one hand. He pulled the shoulders of the General robes he wore and looked at himself in the mirror; reflexively he also struck a few poses.

After looking himself over he said, "I think I can handle that. But why bother, I thought we were all friends now?"

With the question, the demeanor Sokka had momentarily enjoyed seeing from Zuko disappeared. "Not everyone is happy about me being Fire Lord, especially those of rank in the military. History has shown that when a military gets bored one of the first activities they like to do is stage a coup. Not many know yet that Azula escaped and I'd like to keep that quiet. There's no telling if some of my generals would turn traitor and join her," Zuko said.

Sokka nodded. From his experiences with Admiral Zao, he knew Zuko's fears were not only well-founded, but highly likely. Through the dim cabin candle lights, he saw Zuko differently; meticulous, decisive, but also compassionate. Sokka knew there was another reason that Zuko was sending himself and not a battalion of Fire Nation soldiers. It was something he couldn't say: though his sister was crazy, he wanted her back alive.

"We'll bring her back, I promise," Sokka said.

"Thank you," Zuko said and patted him on the shoulder.

"Say hi to Iroh for me," Sokka said just before Zuko left. Upon hearing the clang of the door shut, Sokka donned the beard once again.

Stepping back into the wheelhouse, he found the Captain leaning against one of the far walls. Immediately the young Captain came to attention, almost falling over. The reaction almost looked like an involuntary seizure.

Sokka barely kept his composure from turning into hysterical laughter. _This is really too much fun,_ Sokka thought. _The fire nation nearly annihilated my village, chased me all around the world, and almost burned me to a crisp more times than I can count and now it's payback time. Yeah Sokka, you've got something good here, a full day ordering Fire Nation soldiers around doing any chore or task you can think of._ _Universe, this makes up for a lot of the stuff you've put me through._

Zen had listened in an air duct to the Fire Lord's quarters. His breathing was slow, calmed, and even in the enemy's airship. He could have made his move, but there was another in the room and that was unexpected. From the time he'd started watching this Fire Lord, until he reached outside of the Fire Nation, he'd had few confidents; few friends.

The betrothal rock bracelet on his right wrist slipped off of him again. The white crystals gleamed inside his dark green robes. When they became exposed, he felt as though his blue eyes had grown even darker since the last time he'd seen his reflection in them. Quickly, he tied it back on. A pointless gesture, he told himself, she wasn't alive anymore.

Sitting in the dark, the phrase that had sent him here, the one that gave him the Silent Vow came to him in the old raspy tone of his village Chief: "A Gemini is two that are one, a single Gemini, is not whole."

A desert and a range of mountains stood between him and where the Fire Lord would be after joining the Avatar. The kill could not come at this time. He would have to trek for days, perhaps weeks, to Ba Sing Sei and try again. Zen put the cloth covering back over the spear that was in two parts and slung over his back.

Zen pushed his black hair back into the hooded mask and out of his eyes. He clutched his betrothal bracelet to the point it cracked watching the Fire Lord leave nonchalantly. This fire lord was enjoying life. He'd even had the arrogance to laugh!

Zen was unable to laugh, unable to speak even, since the day his beloved Koral fell. Rage filled him to the point where he almost tore the grate off the duct and rushed this General Wang and broke his back over his knee, but he could not. It was forbidden in the Silent Oath.

Only the Fire Lord must die and, once he did, Zen would be free. Free to return home, free from the war, and free to speak about Koral's bravery on behalf of the Earth Kingdom.

(Authors Note: I'm going to try and start coming out with chapters once a week. I've actually also decided on adding a unique character to this story that you've met at the end of the chapter. In coming up with him I asked myself what would make a good opposite for Zuko, while Aang works, I was thinking in terms of motivations. Zuko's original motivation was to gain his father's love. So I thought a good character to put against someone who was like that would be someone who had lost a love that would never return. Why Zen is focused on Zuko we'll get into later, but it's not something Zuko actually did.

I'll get into what a Gemini is and what the Silent Vow is later on, but suffice to say for now, Gemini are two-person teams in the Earth Kingdom sent for very special missions. They're male/female and typically are either married or betrothed to each other. One of their codes is that they will never fail the other in battle, hence the name: Gemini. According to Zen, Koral is dead so he's obviously broken that code.

I apologize if the scenes are dialogue-heavy. It's a weakness I have, I know. I'm trying to work on that and Zen is actually a way I'm trying to do that. Having a character who doesn't speak forces you to come up with other ways to write and that's my real goal with this character, other than making this cool assassin-type to throw at Zuko, because let's face, it's fun watching Zuko defy death. Any other faults, aside from chapter length, which varies on day-to-day and my whims, I would love to hear constructively about.

And yes, I'm a huge Wang Fire fan!)


	4. Settling or Revenge of the PTA

Chapter 4: Settling (Alternate Title: Revenge of the PTA)

Sokka was glad to finally see Suki again once the airship made port and he'd slipped out of the Fire Nation capital and into the port. After forcing all non-essential crew into an hour workout doing everything he'd seen Zuko force Aang to do as far as exercises: hot-squats, toe-torches, and fire-jacks, things had gotten quite boring. It also made it harder knowing that the Fire Nation had good people in it; things were so much simpler when he didn't know that- not that he wanted to go back to those early days. He was also excited to see Suki again. Although he'd already sent Hawky with two letters to her since they'd parted ways, it just wasn't the same as seeing her.

Seeing her this time did make him melt as he approached the dock mentioned in the plans. She wore the same dark green vest with a light green dress folded underneath with it's own dark green around the sashes. Her hair was down at the sides and a slight bun in the back. Sokka was slightly disappointed that the makeup wasn't there.

She'd never seen him in his Wang Fire disguise so he decided to have a little fun with her as she sat on the edge of the docks, waiting for him. He walked up behind her and she looked at him but didn't really pay him any mind. Just some old bearded-guy to her, he supposed. He heard her let out a sigh and decided that Suki needed to go for a swim and with one hand he started to push her in the water.

"Hey!" Suki said as she grabbed his right arm and pulled him towards the endge of the dock.

"Dah!" Sokka yelled in his normal voice as he fell off the edge and into the water.

"Young lady, that is no way to treat a General!" Sokka shouted again in his normal voice but not realizing it.

"Sokka, you big dummy, you think that disguise fooled me?" Suki asked.

"Suki, how did you?"

"Only you look at me the way you look at me."

Sokka smiled and reached for a hug.

"Don't look at me like that! That's how you decide to greet me? Pushing me off the dock and into the water?"

"I would've brought flowers, but a Fire Nation General giving flowers to an Earth Nation girl would look suspicious."

"And you would've been rewarded with such a wonderful kiss had you taken the chance," Suki said, teasing.

"I can get flowers. We Generals have connections ya know." Sokka said.

Suki waved him to come forward and check out the ship she'd rented for their journey. While the crew was busy loading and unloading, they acted like Sokka was inspecting the ship for the Fire Nation and sneaked below decks to get him the Earth Kingdom clothes that she'd brought for him. After he'd changed, he took a deep breath and only found himeslef inhaling the sweet stench of dead fish from the neighboring fishing boats. _Nothing like the rocking of the sea, the creaking wood, and the smell of dead fish to make you miss an airship_.

When he'd open the door to his quarters, Suki was holding a long staff-like present before him. She stepped back and put her hands behind her back while her face grew red with blush. _Sokka looked at her in surprise. Now I really should've brought flowers_, Sokka thought.

He opened it and there was his space-rock sword in all it's black and shiny glory. Pulling it out he touched the blade to his hand and hefted it once again.

"How? Where did you find it? We lost it in the airship battle. I never thought I'd see it again."

"Actually Master Piandao made another one from the same rock that you brought to him. He asked me to give it to you. Apparently, there was enough material left over for another sword, but he said if you ever lose your sword like that again he'll cut you in half."

Sokka sheathed the sword and hugged her. They took a moment to kiss before a cook appeared in the hallway and they broke it off giggling. They went back into Sokka's room, which actually had several bunks and he realized their time alone might be short. Sokka sat down on one end of the room and Suki on the other. It was small enough they could talk softly and still hear each other.

"So we're going after Azula?"

"Yeah, but we've got to wait for her to find Zuko's mother before we make any move. Once we find her location, we'll then we'll confront her." Sokka said.

"What if some of us can't wait that long?" A voice said just outside the door. In catwheeled Ty Lee and she sat right next to Sokka on the bunk. She wore a similar getup that Suki wore except her hair was wrapped up much tighter around her head in pins and a jewelry piece in the center of a green emerald.

"She's here?!" Sokka said, his jaw dropping to the floor.

"It's so good to see you too Sokka." Ty Lee said hugging him. Sokka gave a look as though a serpent were squeezing the life of him, pleading nonverbally for Suki to save him. Suki frowned and a look of surprise about the big hug that Sokka was receiving.

"Excuse us a minute." Sokka said as he freed himself. He walked over grumbling and grabbed Suki by the arm and pulled her outside in a non-hurtful yet forceful way.

Sokka shut the door to the room and whispered to Suki, "What is she doing here?! She was best friends with Azula for years. Are you sure she can be trusted?"

Suki shook her head, "Sokka this is part of her training. She has to follow all my orders on this trip as part of her initiation into the Kyoshi Warriors. It's okay, the other girls trust her and I'm starting to as well, but what was with that big hug?"

"What hug? Oh that -er nothing... what I mean is..."

"Sokka spit it out," Suki said. She crossed her arms and looked up and down the halls to see if anyone was coming.

"Ty Lee kind of had a krush on me while we were in the Earth Kingdom." Sokka shielded his head with his arms, "now before you grind me into fish food, I never flirted, batted an eye, or did anything else to deserve the kind of attention she gave me."

Suki pulled his arms down and pulled him in for another kiss. This time, they were interrupted by a man carrying cabbages below deck. He felt her warm hands hold onto his.

"I'm in love with you. I trust you. While this explains why Ty Lee volunteered so anxiously, I don't think she's going to come between us Sokka, but we do need her help in fighting Azula."

"Her stopping-bending-punches-thingy would come in handy," Sokka said.

The three of them walked back to the top deck in time to see the ship set sail back to the Earth Kingdom. They were unnoticed, just like Zuko had wanted, and they would be hot on Azulas trail once Sokka showed the captain the map of where Azula had last been seen. Although he'd told the captain that they were actually hunting Koi fish in the area.

Aang had stayed by Appa's head for the entire trip alone till Katara finally decided to see what was eating him. She looked as great as ever in her blue watertribe clothing, but he couldn't bring himself to smile at her this time. He was sad and felt lost staring at the stars in the night sky.

One thing he never gave the Fire Lord credit for: his life at least had direction while he was terrorizing the world. That and, Aang never had to worry about settling down. He knew that Avatar Roku had done that, so he knew it was okay to want a place to call his own, but he knew the Air Temples weren't it. Teo and his dad could live in the Northern with the refugees because they'd changed it and it also didn't remind them of their entire nation's demise like a tombstone.

"I know you're not upset, not like I've seen you before, but something is bothering you Aang," Katara said, touching his shoulder.

"This is going to sound selfish, but I wish I could... settle before heading off to help these colonists. Here I am, about to help them keep or lose their homes and I don't even have one of my own anymore," Aang said.

"Well, you're welcome to try making one in the South Pole."

"Thanks Katara, but I don't think that'd feel right either. To be honest, I thought you and Sokka weren't going to move back to the South Pole."

He watched Katara take her hand away from his shoulder. "What? Why wouldn't I go home? And Sokka is just going to apprentice under Master Piandao, he wants to come back to our tribe to teach the other men his style of sword fighting."

"I know, I know, but does he plan on staying? And what about you, after this is over, are you going home? I was hoping you might consider living a little... closer to wherever I wind up."

Katara sighed and said, "I don't know. To be honest, I was kind of glad this little crisis came up. I know I need to go home, but after all that's happened..." she let her voice trail off. "I guess I never really thought about it. We've been so busy helping the rest of the world, I guess none of us have thought that long-term."

Aang wiped his eyes and stopped the tears from forming in his eyes. "You remember when you told me that Sokka and you are my family now? I've already lost one family Katara and I feel like this one is already growing apart."

He felt her wrap her arms around him tightly. Appa rumbled a growling belch beneath him. A reminder that not all of his past life with the Airbenders had been lost.

"You know, while we stay with Uncle, you and Katara could look for a place in Ba Sing Se," Zuko said without opening his eyes from what all accounts to Aang seemed like a nap.

"Zuko, are there any spare rooms in the Fire Nation Palace?" Aang asked knowing that Zuko would see it as him just messing around with him.

"Sure, you can move in with a nation full of people who not only believed to be superior to everyone else around them, but also were humiliated when you took down their Fire Lord. Thanks, but I have enough trouble running my Nation without a mischievous Air Nomad kid running around starting dance parties in our schools."

"You heard about that?" Aang was surprised.

"Are you kidding? The parents and teachers 'stormed' the palace and wouldn't leave the Minister of Education alone till he spoke to someone in the royal family about it. Guess who he found?" Zuko sat up. "Although something never seemed right about the story. They said the boy who started the problem had hair... I didn't know Airbenders grew hair."

Aang changed the subject since he didn't like the hair he had during that time. "I guess the only other place to stay would be in the Earth Kingdom."

Then he noticed Katara have a flash of brilliance that was usually reserved for Sokka. "Aang, what if there was another way?"


	5. Harbouring Guilt

Chapter 5: Harboring Guilt

Before Sokka had gotten off the airship, another passenger had made a fast exit. To get off the airship unnoticed once he reached the harbor in the Fire Nation capital, Zen used an old sand bender technique they called "the mirage." With a pouch full of sand, he formed the shape of a man just like his build and size standing over one of the railings on the lower deck while he still sat inside above in the air-duct.

In the light of a half-moon, the light caught it perfectly. Not enough to make out the individual, but enough that a guard would see it much like a draped blanket in the wind, moving suspiciously but not with a discernible shape.

As luck would have it, the first to see the shape was one of those engineers. With the gas-mask over his large, chiseled face, Zen figured his plan would improve only all the more. The large fellow grunted and, although Zen couldn't see him, he could hear the surprise in his voice.

"Hey you, careful on that railing! Where is your safety harness?" He could hear the engineer shout.

Just below them, Zen could see the top of the mountain that surrounded the capital city. With the swift motion of his fingers, he "pushed" the figure of sand over the edge of the railing and it appeared as though a man had just toppled over it and fell.

"Man overboard! Man over board!" The engineer scrambled.

Zen quickly climbed back up the ducts with his earth-claws and opened the vent on the wall just behind the shaft that housed both the bombs and two war balloons. He'd arrived just in time to see three firebenders clamber into the closest balloon and lower it out of the shaft's open bomb doors.

He'd only tried a trick like this once before and that was with a cabbage merchant's tent in the city of Omashu after it'd fell to the fire nation. It broke his arm in the process and gave Koral the retort she'd used from that day forth to try and humble him from these crazy maneuvers. "Zen, the Airbenders are all extinct and if you keep acting like one of them you will be too."

The rush of the wind on his face as he jumped towards the closing doors, barely making it through and onto the balloon. As quickly as he'd fallen onto it, he rolled off and fell onto the ridge overlooking the city. It was a short drop, but he hadn't planned on the cracking sound a rib or two made on his right side.

He gasped and almost broke his vow right there. Hissing through his teeth, he watched as a lantern shone down into the city from the blimp and war balloon, looking for Zen's diversion that fell into the city just upon their arrival. _The time training with sandbenders really did pay off, _Zen thought to himself. _Now if only I had a waterbender to heal these ribs_.

Slowly, he hobbled into the harbor under the cover of darkness. He found a red school headband drying in the cool night air in one of the apartments just before the docks and made a bandage around his ribs with it, soaking it in water. The pain made him wince as he looked forward to the harbor, to where it had all gone so badly. And the pain in his ribs suddenly became the least pain of all.

Koral kept her hair in two tight braids down both her shoulders and they blew slightly in the sea breeze as she and Zen crouched low over the blasting jelly barrels.. Copper wrist and shoulder guards were the only thing not green on her wardrobe. It was darker than the royal green of the earth kingdom throne room, dark as their mission. Her face was pure and almost white, with a soft face and cheeks and pink lips. Her hazel eyes told him that she didn't approve of his decision.

"Zen, sometimes you're more stubborn than the rest of the whole earth kingdom," she said. "You heard what that General said. I know we're supposed to get new orders ten days from now, but this is bigger than that! They're talking about Sozen's comet returning and you know what they did to the airbenders. What if no one knows it's coming? We have to warn someone about how they're going to use it."

Zen shook his head and said, "How are we going to escape? The eclipse is in one day, we'll never reach anyone outside the fire nation in time. We need to keep doing our job and hope the rest of the Earth Kingdom military is doing the same."

"Sabotaging fire navy ships isn't going to help anyone if they plan to just torch the earth from the sky. If we can't warn everyone, maybe we can stop the Fire Lord some how. We've been here for two months undetected Zen. Maybe we can kill him without getting caught."

"We haven't been caught because we keep timing the sabotage so it happens at sea Koral. They think it's a just a sea serpent right now who has a taste for eating propellers."

"What if this is it Zen? What if we don't do this and the Fire Nation wins the war? This might be our only chance to stop him. We have to try!"

"And if the Earth Kingdom has a way to stop him that depends on us stopping these fire navy ships, we could lose a better chance of stopping them."

"There is no Earth Kingdom Zen!" Koral said raising her voice just above a whisper.

"Enough, that's a lie. They're just doing more propaganda, Ba Sing Sei would never fall like that. The Dai Li wouldn't ever do such a thing. The whole comet might just be a way to bring out anyone in the fire nation who is against the Fire Lord into a trap."

"Then why haven't we gotten a single coded message like we were supposed to since the first week we got here? Something's not right Zen, I don't like it," she gripped his hand as she said it, put hers in his. Nearby a lantern from a Fire Nation patrol shone dimly.

Zen nodded. He had a gut-sinking feeling that something had gone horribly wrong in the homeland, but there wasn't much they could do about it here. Koral gave him that determined look in her eye, that she would follow him regardless of what he said, but there was also concern that they had to act as well.

"We'd better move fast if we want to make it to the palace by nightfall," Zen said. "Come on."

It had all happened right where he was standing. He wished he could go back as he nursed his side and disappeared into the crowds. Though Earth Kingdom citizens were still rare in the fire nation, the end of the war made it not uncommon and he could walk freely about as the sun came up.

Heading into the ship yards he finally caught up with a familiar face. He'd seen her in the palace that fateful day. The long black hair, the sad and bored face, and quiet demeanor: Mae. She was heading for one of the faster fire navy ships. _No doubt to see her beloved fire lord_, Zen thought. Getting within ear shot, Zen could hear parts of the entourage say single phrases like "Fire Lord," "Earth Kingdom," and "colonist defense." After gathering enough to piece it together, he stepped again back into the crowd before anyone noticed he was following.

The people pushed and swayed like several currents as he mingled through them silently. He noticed there was a frantic step to her walk. Something was up, he noticed, and she brought plenty of fire nation soldiers with her. Whatever Mae was up to, Zen reasoned, it could not be good.

Once he saw her reach the end of the plank and walk onto the ship, he reached into his pouch for some more of his sand. This time, he covered himself with it while he waited for Mae to get to the lower decks. Then he watched the different supplies being loaded on from the ramp that came down from the bow. It was much larger and allowed for some wagons to get through.

Zen waited next to the convoy of wagons and traders on the dock who were waiting to drop their supplies off within the ship. At the end of the line, a man pulled a dried meats cart by him and he made his move. He wore red pants and a black vest over his chest and back. He smelled of meat and sulfur. Quickly, Zen blew sand from the palm of his hand towards the merchant as he passed, earth bending it towards his face and nostrils. The merchant began to sneeze violently.

Walking calmly over to the merchant, Zen helped the sneezing man up as he continued his sneezing.

"Thank, you," the merchant said. "I don't know what came over me."

Zen motioned towards the cart and put his hands on the handles. The merchant seemed to understand was more than happy to oblige the free labor while he got over his sudden sneeze attack.. They walked the cart onto the ship's ramp and to the food stores where there were merchants unpacking their wares. The very first time the merchant Zen had helped stooped down to start unloading his cart, Zen disappeared from the room before anyone was the wiser. He'd been in enough fire navy ships to know where to hide while sabotaging them. All he had to do was wait and Mae would take him straight to the Fire Lord.

Authors Note:

Sorry this took me so long. Been working on a few other projects. I will most likely go back to make a few changes to this depending on how well received it is. That and I did finish it at 5 AM so I'm guessing I'm not at my sharpest. Chapter 6 should focus on the Sokka/Suki/Tai Li adventure. I am very much looking forward to writing it and after that we'll catch up with Aang, Iroh (My favorite Avatar character,) and Zuko. Still working on that Katara solution to the housing problem. I had a great idea, but now I can't seem to remember what it was. Well, hopefully I'll think of something.

Coming up with Zen's method of getting to the Earth Kingdom was actually easier than I had thought and actually gave me a new plot twist to make everything even more interesting later on (hint it has to do with something he overhears.) I was planning to have more action in this, specifically with Zen, but opted against it because if I had done the action in the flashback, there'd be less progression and character development, and if I'd done it in the present time, well, Zen wouldn't be able to stow aboard anything if he just went around beating everyone up. I thought about him beating some fire nation soldier up to get a war balloon, but then I realized: all fire nation technology requires fire bending to work for the most part, so Zen wouldn't do that because it'd be rather useless. I hope Zen is quickly growing on you like he has me, I'm actually surprised how much more I want to do with him. At first, he was supposed to be all shadowy and mysterious, but now I see him a little differently.

So the action sequences are coming, but I don't like doing them without giving a little buildup. Okay a lot, so they make sense. I apologize for the paragraph breaks and weird formatting issues. I keep switching between computers and one uses open office and the other uses word so... yeah.


	6. The Chase

Chapter 6: The Chase

"All set?" Sokka asked as he watched Suki and Tai Li finish putting on their makeup; the last part of their Kyoshi uniform. He could hear birds and cicadahoppers in the distance chirping and singing away. The forest was just starting to turn in some trees towards the fall and as Sokka turned to notice it, it occurred to him he'd never stopped to notice the natural beauty of the season change before. If the ice turned colors like that, it would just mean someone wasn't using the bathroom where they were supposed to, Sokka thought.

Tai Li beamed with a smile and said, "We're ready to go!. How do I look Sokka?"

She pressed herself closer towards him until Sokka started to lean back and fell over.

"Um... great," he replied. Which caused Suki to give him a surprised look. "I mean, you both look great. Suki, wow you really did a great job this time."

"Yeah, especially the blush on my cheeks. See!" Suki said as she put her face towards him.

They had left the boat over two days ago and Suki told him their first stop was a village they'd reach at sunset. It was just west of the disputed colonial territories his sister, Zuko, and Aang were about to meet the Earth King over. It seemed odd to Sokka that Tai Li would suggest this be the route Azula would take, but he wasn't the one tracking her. Suki kept insisting that Sokka tell Tai Li about their relationship, but Sokka thought it best to wait till Tai Li's psychotic former best-friend was captured first.

While they started their day's walk, Tai Li kept circling and cartwheeling around Sokka trying to get his attention. Of course, since nothing else but walking was going on, it did get his attention. So much so that while Tai Li was walking on her hands because her "feet hurt after walking so much" Sokka started laughing and saying things like he wished he could ease the burden on his hands by walking on his feet.

"That's it! Sokka, if you won't tell her, I will," Suki yelled.

Sokka looked back and noticed Suki had blush on her face that hadn't been there before. It wasn't makeup however, but the reddening face of a very jealous Kyoshi warrior.

"Tai Li, Sokka- I mean we should have told you this sooner: we're dating each other."

Tai Li fell from her handstand to the ground and looked back, upside down at Suk.

"Huh?" You two are dating?" Her eyes grew wider while asking, looking directly at Sokka.

"Yeah. We have been for awhile."

"But, you hardly ever hold hands, kiss, or do any boyfriend stuff with her," Tai Li said.

"Ouch!" Sokka said after getting an elbow in the ribs from Suki.

"Now that you mention it... you're right," Suki said.

"I've offended you haven't I? Please, don't send me away! I'm sorry!"

Sokka got a sick feeling in his stomach after hearing that. "Tai Li, we're not Azula. In fact, I was holding off on telling you about Suki and me till after we caught her because... we were afraid you might join back up with her if you found out the wrong way."

"So you were just going to let me make a fool of myself by flipping around to impress you?" Tai Li asked, now getting up.

"I thought you liked making a fool of yourself like that." Sokka said.

He gasped the moment he said it. Although he thought he was cured of making sexist or impolite remarks towards women, the habit seemed to resurface at that moment. Nice one Sokka, he thought. Tai Li started to tear up immediately and she rushed with her hands shielding her face off the trail and through the bushes that led up to a ridge overlooking the valley where the town stood.

Turning back, he could already feel the glare of Suki even more intense than anything wielded by a firebender. Trying to smile his way out of it, Sokka put a hand on the back of his neck. It was several minutes before either of them spoke.

"Eh."

"Nice one Sokka. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you like the possibility of two girls fighting for your affection." She walked up to him, leaned in and kissed him. "But I do know better. I'll go talk to her."

Just then, there was a rustling in the trees as something scampered quickly towards them. Instinctively, Sokka reached towards his sword and Suki for her fans. Out came Tai Li, out of breath.

"There's smoke... fire..." she panted. "The Earth village is on fire!"

They scrambled through the bushes and branches, stuttering their steps up the stones and rocks of the ridge. Once they reached the highest point before the ridge dropped, they could see their destination ahead through the tree line and several pillars of smoke. Then, three distinct strikes of lighting came from the sky.

"Azula," all three said at once.

"We have to get down there fast." Suki said.

Sokka said what all three of them already knew: "We'll be too late. It's still half a day's walk."

If war is so horrible, why do these talks feel even more agonizing? Zuko thought. He and Earth King had been at it for only a half-hour, but the he was already getting restless. They'd barely landed in the Palace square and already men in the light green uniforms of the Royal Guard had whisked him away from Katara and the Avatar into a private meeting chamber.

The lights were dimmed and the king sat at a table with the whole world mapped out in front of him. Highlighted in red on the Earth Kingdom's north western borders were the two largest Fire Nation Colonies: Mao and Tao. The earth king pushed his glasses closer to his eyes and put on hand on the bear sleeping on his thigh while they both sat on cold, cushioned chairs made of rock. The room smelled of the oil of the lamps and bear fur.  
"There is no room for negotiation on this Fire Lord Zuko, the colonies must cease to exist," the King said.

"At least three generations have lived in those colonies. They consider it home and many of them still have it instilled in their minds that the Fire Nation is superior to other nations. You know that is not how I feel and you know what it's cost me to get here, but these people might not accept my order."

"You fear what your own people might try against you? You fear losing the power you've just gained young Fire Lord?"

"No. I am afraid of them overthrowing me, but not because I love power. Have you asked yourself who they would replace me with?" Zuko asked. This took the Earth King aback. There was a look of shock on his face while Zuko watched him calculate what just might happen if someone worse or like Ozai took the Fire Nation back.

"I know that there are some in the Fire Nation who don't like me reducing our military by half in just a year. I know there are generals probably plotting my demise right now. Right now, Minister Ming, is the only one of my advisors I've found to trust implicitly. His family was exiled at the start of the war for protesting it. I've been trying to find wise men like himself ever since I took power to replace my father's regime. But it takes time."

"I've learned the hard way that it's important to have the right people advising you," The Earth King said. "But my people are at the end of their patience already with these colonies."

Zuko looked over the contested area while feeling the map with his fingers. _Think_, Zuko, _think! What would Uncle say?_ "What if we allowed the people to stay, but made them citizens of the Earth Kingdom? I would disown them and you would swear to protect them from others in the Earth Kingdom in exchange for their allegiance?"

"So they would have the option of either leaving or becoming my people? I'll consult with my advisors and Generals, but before I consider such an offer, their fighting of my troops must stop and your navy must pull further back."

"Ming received a message that a group of earthbenders, former soldiers, have been attacking the village."

"Those were the soldiers I sent in to keep the peace. They said they were attacked first."

Zuko looked to the door leading out of the room and thought of Aang. "Perhaps an objective party should investigate and stop the fighting?"

"You're suggesting the Avatar? Wouldn't he be somewhat biased towards his firebending teacher?"

"He is my friend, but so is Toph Befong. The Avatar might not be perfect, but he wants this resolved as much as we do."

"How is the Avatar? I heard of his trip to the Air Temple."

"He's-"

The door slammed open and Zuko's advisor, Minister Ming, came rushing inside. His scarlet robes fluttered as he came to his knees before the table of the two leaders and he fell down on his face.

"A thousand apologies my Lord and his majesty the Earth King. It is Mae, she was attacked by a lone assailant. She is fine, but he managed to capsize the vessel Mae was traveling in. When she washed up on shore, he was there and he handed her a green geminite candy crystal. She believes he used some kind of earthbending to sink the ship. I strongly advise that you continue your negotiations from the safety of the Fire Nation capital."

"Tell me, did he say anything to her?" the Earth King asked.

"Why, no... not a word."

Upon hearing this, the Earth King motioned his captain of the guard over and whispered some orders into his ear. The captain then rushed back to the door, closed it, and scrambled loudly down the stone hallway.

"I would advise we end our negotiations for tonight, but I think it would go much faster if you stayed here in Ba Sing Se. I assure you that this man is not under any orders by me or the military. We will apprehend him."

"Do you know who he is?"

"No. I am sorry, but I cannot say anything else at this time. We will let you know once we've apprehended him. The captain of the guard will escort you to your Uncle's for the night. Good evening," The Earth King said and with that, he left. Ming and Zuko just stared, confused and disturbed at how unconcerned he was. _I don't know what worries me more, that he sunk a navy ship or caught Mae by surprise._

Zuko arrived at Irohs just after Mae had sat down at the table nearest to the kitchen with a cloth containing ice was put over the right side of her head. Zuko waved his bodygaurds to wait outside and he rushed over to look at her face.

"I don't get this place. You go to talk and make nice with their king and they reward you by hitting your girlfriend on the head?" Mae said.

"I'm glad to hear you're okay."

"She will be more than okay once she tries the new tea that King Bumi gave me the recipe for," Iroh said. Donning his apron, he seemed to be a lot different than the time they were exiled in Ba Sing Se. He was stronger, but also more joyful and full of more energy than before.

"Why geminite candy though?" Mae said.

Zuko watched Iroh's face turn from joy to concern. He looked over to Zuko and then walked over to the front door after placing his tea tray down at Mae's table. After checking outside, he walked back and took his apron off.

"Because the Gemini, the people who mine that candy also have a their own special group of warriors who protect them. After the the war began, they traveled all over the Earth Kingdom, many mastered every form of earthbending that is not their own including sandbending and the rock fist style used by the Dai Li."

"I've never heard of them," Zuko said.

Iroh sat down across from Mae and Zuko.

"That is because very few within the Fire Nation know of their existance. The Earth Kingdom used them from the very start of the war as covert fighters, often inside the Fire Nation itself gathering intelligence, sabotaging our war effort, and even assassinating our leaders."

"The man never spoke to you did he?" Iroh asked.

Mae nodded.

"There are only two reasons a Gemini takes a Silent Vow and both end with the death of another. They are fiercely loyal and traditional mining clan. One of those traditions involves their commitment to each other and the other involves their pledge to secrecy.

"The warriors are paired by their betrothals. Their warriors are all engaged through arranged marriages before they are of age to fight. Fighting along side the ones they love strengthens their bond and their abilities, so their belief says. They are trained to not only fight together, but to live together as husband and wife. However, if one of them falls in battle, it is viewed as a failure and the other of the pair must avenge them through a Silent Vow. If he or she cannot, they can never speak again, fall in love again, nor can their comrade be buried honorably.

The only other time the vow is made is by written request by one of the five generals. It is an assassination mark and they are never to break their silence so their enemies will never find out who they were sent for or why.

Usually they will not use earth bending any more than they have to. They view using it too much for things like building and transportation as a crutch and disrespect towards the earth. Mostly they will use it to conceal themselves; a camouflage."

"I guess it's not a disrespect to sink a Fire Nation ship in the port."

"Well, I said mostly." Iroh said.

"Uncle, how is it you know so much about these people?" Zuko asked.

Iroh looked down. He breathed in deeply before saying, "It was a Gemini who took my son. I have talked with General How not a few days ago and he said he was sorry for making that decision, but he felt he had no other option. I'm not sure I would have done any less if I were certain it would stop the siege of Ba Sing Se were I in his position."

"So why is this man after me? I've never killed anyone," Zuko said. "And the king just said..."

They both looked at Iroh. The gentle Uncle shook his head.

"Not long before the eclipse, I heard through the White Lotus of an attempt on your father's life. It was the closest anyone has ever gone to achieving it and it was done by two Earth Kingdom warriors and until now, I was only suspicious that it was a Gemini."

"But why not go after Ozai?Why Zuko?" Mae asked.

"If he is alone then one of them perished in the attempt. He lost his love to the Fire Lord and it's the Fire Lord that has to be punished. Ozai is no longer Fire Lord, when you became the Fire Lord, you became his target."

_Stupid, careless_, thought Zen. He'd allowed himself time to sleep and heal his wounds, but too much time had passed. They were already starting to unload on the docks by the time he'd awoken. The plan had been to jump off board once he was in swimming distance of the port, much like he'd done on the airship.

Things were different now. Although he'd managed to stay hidden behind some barrels in the food stores, they would soon move them out and restock them in Ba Sing Se. While he was glad he was closer to his target than the original destination of the Colonies and he overheard enough to understand the Fire Lord's girlfriend had made the change so she could see him, it made his escape even more troublesome. He knew the timing to escape to the Colonies, this he'd be playing by ear since he was always below deck.

Zen pondered over his latest problem until Mae opened the door to the food stores herself. She grumbled something under her breath about a lazy servant and reached for a container of melons. He'd heard a lot about the girl and her gift with throwing knives, daggers, and darts. It gave him an idea.

Standing up and putting his spear together, Zen ignored Mae's sudden shock of surprise. Her next reflex was to go for three daggers in the sleeve of her shirt and fling them straight at Zen. Zen brought out his now assembled black spear to block the hissing projectiles with one swing.

"Who are you?" Mae asked him.

From a pocket he pulled out green geminite candy and tossed it on the floor in front of her. This should be enough of a hint, Zen thought. Someone in the Earth Kingdom might still remember his tribe existed and know the significance.

Mae threw another two daggers at Zen while she made for the door to the foodstores. Zen grabbed them with his left rock glove and rushed after. The corridor was wide and it gave him much more running room. Mae let loose a barrage of five, then three, and then five more daggers. Planting his spear in the ground, Zen hurtled himself over the first group in a flip. Letting go and somersaulting once more, the five buzzed by and he caught the last three in his own right hand and flung them back at her.

"What do you want?" She said as she flung another volley at him. And dodged the return fire by running into the next deck hall.

Zen followed and could hear her clambering up the steps to the upper deck where the area was more open and to the advantage of her daggers and speed. Zen followed but not before a firebender came down the stairs after putting his staff, blunt-side, into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The firebender keeled ove rand Zen whacked the back of his knee with the spear and sent him tumbling down the stairs and he jumped over the tumbling guard.

On top deck, Zen found himself surrounded by six firebenders and Mae, holding a dagger at the ready. Zen quickly peered around before lowering his spear. Mae nodded and he flung it to the ground.

"Hands to your sides." The firebender behind him said.

Zen obeyed, but he started pulling his fingers outward. Slowly very slowly, he could feel himself pulling apart the sand beneath the ship. Quickly he made a solid stance with his feet and pushid his arms out while the ground beneath them was being pushed by an invisible wedge that pulled the water away from the ship and lowering it exactly at the same time Mae threw her dagger. The dagger singed just over Zen's headscarf and clanged into the firebenders' helmet, knocking him out.

Mae and the other firebenders were about to attack the assailant that was no picking up his weapon when she felt a large shadow behind her. She looked back and saw a tidal wave behind her and a quick glance to the other side of the ship revealed another. Zen finished his bending by pressing the solid rock he could make against the ship, holding it against the bottom of the ocean. When the waters came back, the ship would not rise up with them.

Zen watched her shield herself against the waters coming at her and he rushed towards her while the firebenders were grabbing onto the sides of the ship for safety. So she wouldn't give him any trouble, Zen gave her a quick hit on the head with his spear before grabbing her and hurling himself into the water and up it's flow to the surface as it crushed the ship below. He started swimming with his free hand towards the docks and looked to make sure the firebenders were both floating and utterly defenseless while wet.

Earth Kingdom citizens and soldiers both came to see the spectacle as the survivors of the ship swam to shore. People began swimming out to help and Zen took off his mask and let his black hair and his face feel the air again. He walked passed the line of onlookers and a Earth Kingdom soldier offered to take Mae on his ostrich horse for help.

"You did a brave thing saving her," the soldier said, oblivious to the fact that she wouldn't have needed saving had Zen done none of what he'd just did. He'd acted so quickly that not many really had seen the commotion on the ship and the crowd kept busy anyone who might have a real idea of what happened. Koral was right, sometimes the best place to hide was in the open.


	7. Night Moves

Chapter 7: Night Moves

Aang and Katara dropped off Appa one after the other in front of the Fire Nation colony known as Tao. Instantly they drew a group of colonists and even a few fire nation soldiers. It was different than all the other times to Aang because unlike all the other times, he wouldn't be running and the fire nation soldiers didn't have masks like skulls anymore. Even though the sun was setting, Aang could still make out their faces.

Birds were chirping and it was the only sound to break the odd silence between Avatar and his former enemies. Children started to cling close to their, fire nation soldiers heated up their hands and brandished their weapons but Aang kept moving towards them.

"An Earth Nation village was just burned to the ground, no one was left alive, and I need to know who was responsible for this. Who is in charge of this village?" he said to all of them.

"We're not here to fight. The Earth King and the new Fire Lord sent us to mediate. We're to listen, but we can't listen if you're pointing weapons at us," Katara said.

From behind the guards, a raven haired woman in long red robes and a gold hairclip on top of her head broke through. Aang felt as though she was familiar. Why was he suddenly thinking of Avatar Rouku?"

"And how is my son?" the woman asked.

By the time they reached the village, it was already encircled by Earth Kingdom soldiers in tan uniforms. The closest to them, who had a goatee, which really made him stand out among other soldiers in Sokka's mind against all the other Earth Kingdom soldiers with goatees, had them halt their advance.

"Wait, we're friends of the Earth King and the Avatar. This is Suki, Tai Li, and I'm Sokka," Sokka said while taking a step back from the village. The intense heat from the blaze was still going and didn't show any signs of letting up. There was already a large fire pit earthbended between the village and the surrounding wood.

"What brings you here?"

"We've been tracking a fugitive named Azula. She's from the fire nation. I think she was behind this. Coming in, we saw lighting come from the sky and there aren't many firebenders who can create lighting."

"You're serious?" The guard said in a panicked state.

"Why what's happened?"

"The king heard of this and became enraged. He's put the Fire Lord under house arrest and he plans to attack the colonies Tao and Mao at dawn."

"The colonies didn't do this. Azula did, I know it's her," Tai Li said.

"Well it's been seen as an act of war. He gave the Fire Lord the opportunity to return to his homeland, but he refused. I'm not sure why."

Sokka knew outright that Zuko was hoping his colonists weren't behind it and being under house arrest for the wrong reason might work in his favor. It was a gamble, but he also knew Zuko was depending on all his friends to make it right.

"We really need to find Azula and fast," Sokka said to the others. "Something tells me an all-out war is something she wants."

"Where would she go next?" Suki asked.

"The colonies," Tai Li said softly. "She knew if she did this, the Earth King would punish them. She's going to rally the colonies against them."

"But the colonies would be no match against the Earth Kingdom forces being mustered," the soldier said. "They stand ten to one!"

Sokka started to feel sick to his stomach. Azula was back in her right mind and thinking cool and calculated again. If she had every intention of starting a war she couldn't win, what would be there to gain? And what made her believe she could do better than her father?

"We need some ostrich horses," Sokka told the soldier. "We need to get to Tao now."

"Sokka, what's-"

"Azula's going to try to kill Aang again."

"But Aang's with Katara-"

"They're in one of the colonies trying to mediate. He's the only one standing in her way right now if the Earth King doesn't back down."

Aang sat down on a mat and inhaled the scent of the herbal tea and peaches on the table before him. Outside Ursa's quaint cottage home, it sounded like the entire village just stood there listening in as Ursa began to tell her story. Aang wasn't sure where she got the fruit from, the bread on the table was molding and even Ursa, the best dressed in the village had some patches on her robes.

It started with how she betrayed the Fire Lord before Ozai to save her only son, Zuko. How it had put her husband on the throne and because she was willing to do anything to protect her children, Ozai viewed his own wife as a threat.

"I was banished here to Tao. The villagers at first had no idea who I was. Then there came an earthquake. It devastated the village and when no one took charge, I did. Though I am banished, I am a royal family member. These people are my people whether they see me as a queen or a peasant.

"After awhile, some of them put together the extra soldiers and how I behaved. They dare not say anything for fear of Ozai changing his mind on my punishment and doing something worse. When Ozai fell, the people here felt abandoned. Zuko doesn't know what to do with the colonies and so he never contacted them.

"At that time, they made me the elder for the village and for Mao. It was a week after their decision that there were some in the earth kingdom who started attacking colonies. Though our shipping port has always been open to anyone, we found our docks smashed and homes ruined.

"Then the soldiers came. They said we had to leave. We had no choice in the matter, they were sending us back to the Fire Nation. Some of these people have lived here their whole lives. I took a vote and we decided to defend our homes instead of leaving."

"We never attacked that other village like General How said the other day. We have only defended ourselves. Although there is some grumbling a month the colonists that somehow the fire nation is superior to the earth kingdom and we should teach them a lesson, but I've forbidden that kind of action."

Aang looked at Katara with a grin on his face. "Wait till we tell Zuko," he said with excitement.

"He sent my brother and some friends of ours looking for you. He'd be searching himself if not for this conflict," Katara said. "You should come with us to see him."

Usra shook her head. "I'm not leaving these people. Especially not now. I would love to speak with my son and the Earth King, but soldiers of the Earth King and our navy need to leave first."

"That sounds like a great idea to me," said Aang.

Aang and Katara waved goodbye atop of Appa as they flew back towards Ba Sing Se. Aang was so excited he was running around the saddle and unable to contain his joy.

"I can't believe we found Zuko's mother!"

"Hey, what's that?" Katara said pointing down below to a trail leading to the colonies just as they reached an altitude Appa liked. Aang felt the cool night air brush against his bald head.

Aang peered down and saw two Ostrich Horses racing towards the village.

"That looks like a guy with two Kyoshi warriors- that's Sokka, Suki, and Tai Li!"

Aang braced himself against the saddle as Katara adjusted course to meet up with the Ostrich Horses. The sky bison slowed his flying speed to match the land animals and Aang peered over the saddle and waved to his friends.

"Hey Sokka! We found Zuko's mom, you can stop looking now," Aang said.

Sokka kept focusing on steering his ride while Suki sat behind him with her arms around his waist.

"We know. You guys didn't run into Azula by chance did you?"

"Do we look like we've been singed by lightning?" Katara said.

"No, but I'm pretty sure she's on her way to take Zuko's mom hostage. She's going to force the colonists to attack the Earth Kingdom soldiers and start the war all over again."

"What? That's crazy!" Aang said.

The colony of Tao was silent as Appa landed and the group all dismounted. Only two figures were visible in the moonlight as they approached the cottage Ursaw lived at. Aang could see already in the dark that curly arrogant smile Azula wore while she stood behind her mother with a throwing dagger to Ursa's throat.

"Well if it isn't my old enemy the avatar and his filthy peasant girl with all their friends. Tell me, how is Zuzu doing these days? I hope he appreciated the scar I gave him to match yours, Avatar."

Aang's back gave the faintest ache. It was like an invisible itch as he remembered the pain of the day he was struck by lightning. He could already feel the rage building. Looking to Sokka, he saw Sokka shake his head that an attack right now wasn't a good idea.

"What do you want?" Aang said.

"Why I want my Fire Nation back of course. I want our victory over all the other nations! The villagers and I have had a little chat and they love their beloved Queen so much that they're willing to die for her tomorrow fighting the Earth Kingdom soldiers."

"Don't-" Ursa started to speak but Aang saw the blade grow closer to her throat.

"Now, now mother. You never were one to be kind with words. Most of all to your own daughter. I have you to thank you know. You started a new fight between the Earth King and the Fire Nation that gave me the opportunity I have now."

Aang took a step forward and the colonists nervously stepped in between himself and Azula. Aang watched Sokka take his hand off his sheathed swords, Katara stopped feeling the ground for water to pull out, and so on. Aang put his staff on the ground.

"Not another step Avatar. I'd save your strength. My new soldiers will be attacking the earth kingdom encampment across the ridge at dawn, and unless you plan on fighting to keep both sides away from each other tired you might think twice before starting a fight with me right now. Oh yeah, and if you fought me now, dear Zuzu wouldn't ever get reunited with our _dear_ mother."

"Aang, lets go," Katara said.

"But-"

"I'm not putting Zuko through losing his mother like I did if I can help it," Katara said.

"She's got the advantage right now," Sokka said, "so we need to regroup and come up with a plan."

Once they were safely airborne, Aagn let out a stressed sigh. He beat the Fire Lord, restored balance, and now this?

"What's the plan Sokka?" Suki asked.

Sokka rubbed his chin for a moment before he gained that excited look in his eye. Aang always noticed it before the Idea Guy came up with a great plan.

"I got it!" Sokka said.

"What?" They all asked staring at him.

"We're all going to surrender!"

"Sokka," Katara said, "that's not a plan. That's... the opposite of a plan."

"Trust me, this is the one time where giving up is a _great_ idea."

Iroh was surprised to see how calm his nephew was as he leaned back and talked with Mae. Here he was, under house arrest in Ba Sing Se in Iroh's tea shop and he was acting like he had not a care in the world.

"You seem rather upbeat for someone under arrest, Zuko," Iroh said as he handed a cup of his famous Jasmine tea to Mae.

"If I go back without a peace agreement, my military will demand a war. Staying means I have to put my trust that the Avatar and his friends can help us avoid that. He's done it once and this is nothing compared to my father."

Iroh paused for a moment to consider the notion. "I don't know, nephew. Perhaps you were a bit hasty in offering the Earth King the colonies."

"I did it because he doesn't want them," Zuko said, no longer staring at Mae.

"What?"

"I said at my coronation I wanted to bring about an era of peace, compassion, and kindness. By saying they shouldn't exist, he told me he has no compassion for them. I wanted to know if he cared at all for them."

Iroh smiled and said, "You are becoming as shrewd as a shirshu already. So how do you plan to convince the Earth King to have compassion?"

"I'm still working on that." Zuko said. "I know I probably should have thought it through more, but this is the best I can come up with. I just hope the Avatar can keep everyone from fighting long enough for me to figure something out."

Iroh patted his nephew on the shoulder. "You are doing fine. And I am so glad I refused the throne when you offered me, running a tea shop is hard enough work for me."

"Thanks Uncle," Zuko said sarcastically.

"I could not deal with all of those pressures: economy, war, plagues, and a sister plotting her revenge against you."

"You really know how to reassure someone Uncle." Zuko said. As he did, Iroh heard a squeak of the boards holding the tiled roof up above their heads. No one else seemed to be bothered by it so Iroh excused himself back to the kitchen.

Quickly he made another kettle of tea, grabbed two cups and said he had to make a quick visit. Iroh looked on both corners of the shop for the guards, but found none. After a quick scan of the area it seemed that everyone was in for the night and the Earth King was no longer concerned about a lone assassin killing the Fire Lord since it seemed a new war was inevitable.

Iroh went to the side of the shop and leaped onto the roof. He could see a black silhouette quietly sharpening a spear suddenly tense up and begin to start down the other side of the roof.

"I just wanted to offer you some tea," Iroh said to the Gemini.

The figure stopped just as his head disappeared and looked back. Even with the mask on, Iroh could see the confused look in his body language. The figure leaned back against the roof and kept his spear near him as he put a hand out for the tea Iroh was now pouring.

"You know, there was a time our ancestors used to sit like this and drink tea before settling disputes either with violence or just by talking. I have always wondered what that kind of civility would have been like to see even among my enemies," Iroh said.

Zen lifted part of his mask and sipped the tea.

"My son, Lu Ten, was killed by one like you. A silent oath was taken over his life. General How was the one who signed it. Do you know what I did the first time I met him? I forgave him. I suppose I could have taken the life of someone close to him in revenge, but if men kept up like that, how long do you suppose it would take before there were none of us left?

"I understand something about losing your honor. Sometimes, the burdens our families and traditions put on us actually are in the way of us truly regaining our honor. My nephew knows this better than you might think. If you have been following him for as long as you have, you should know by now his story. Right now, he is with his girlfriend Mae and they are in love.

"You lost the one you loved, but your problems will not be solved by taking away the one Mae loves. In fact, they will destroy what you fought for if you kill my nephew. I am begging you, young man, please reconsider fulfilling your traditions."

Zen said nothing and gave no indication to Iroh he was being swayed. Until a single teardrop fell from his eyes and became visible on the cheek where the mask was uplifted.

"I have raised that boy like he is my son. I will protect him from you."

Zen turned and started to get up.

"Not tonight, not tonight. I am tired and I can see you have just finished a long journey yourself to get here. I'll just to leave the teapot and cup up here with you and hope you can at least agree to give us a day of peace. If you decide that you want something better than revenge, there is a cot open in my apartment and we would love to have you as a guest," Iroh turned as he finished and started to calmly walk back down the roof. He returned to a joyous room where Mae and Zuko where laughing and conversing with each other warmly. Well, as warmly as Mae can be, Iroh thought to himself.

Some time later. He went back outside and to the right of the door on the floor there stood his teacup and pot. Iroh looked and listened, but there was no sign of his visitor from earlier. Upon touching the teacup, he noticed there was a note inside.

The note read:

"Thank you for the tea. I appreciate your kindness, but I feel I cannot return it. It would betray the memory of the one I loved. Her name was Koral."


	8. Rebuild Revised and expanded

You can't Go Home Again Chapter 8: Rebuild

Zen remembered the corridor that lead out to the pond. It was night and the crickets chirped softly while the wind gently bent both the grass and Koral's brown hair. Both of them wore their black fatigues as they silently stalked their prey.

Even the ducks didn't hear the two approach on both sides of a pondering Firelord looking up to the moon in thought. There he sat it in his evening robes of dark orange and lavender, sipping tea with a scroll over his lap. Zen let a smile creep across his face, they were but ten paces.

He brought his weapon to bear. Looking to his side, he could see Koral take out her daggers. We're going to pull it off he thought, we're going to save the Earth Kingdom! It was then Zen noticed that the loudest and nearest cricket stopped mid-chirp.

_Fwoosh!_

The light was so blinding. Heat and pain registered all throughout his body as he was flung backwards against the courtyard wall. Immediately he brought up a wall of rock and earth to shield himself from the flare of the second attack.

"So they finally sent a Gemini team after me. Although the Earth Kingdom must be desperate if they're sending one that could be so obvious. Did you really think I came out here to ponder my thoughts? Perhaps if you'd kept up your sabotaging of my ships, I might not have caught on that you might try something tonight. Letting you sabotage them was an annoyance, but you kept eluding my royal guardsmen so I knew you would eventually try your hand at killing me."

Zen felt his stomach lurch to his ankles. He knew, he knew everything. They were dead. He had to get out, he had to flee. The fire was creeping around the barrier faster now.

Bending the wall behind himself, he breached it and slid down the tunnel he'd made to a lower corridor. While taking his weapon apart he called for his comrade, his love.

"Koral, he knew, get out!"

"Ugh!" He heard her grunt. There was a silver glint in the torrent of flames that came down his tunnel. Her daggers. Koral was in the fire. Save her, his heart said to him, but as he reached for her, called her name out again he could feel the searing heat. Through the fire he could see a scorched figure, unmoving.

"No!"

The firelord leapt down into the tunnel and stood between Zen and the fallen Koral. Tears in his eyes, Zen rebuilt his spear quickly, yelled passionately and leaped at his opponent. With a single gesture without any fire, the Firelord slapped the spear into the wall and with his other hand, he grabbed Zen by the neck and thrust him against the wall, knocking the spears and swords held in racks behind him to the ground.

Zen wriggled and tried to kick, bend, anything till the firelord sent scorching heat through the palm of his hand right into Zen's neck.

"Listen to me," the Firelord hissed, "I know you are a Gemini. And while I would enjoy killing you, I know your agony has just begun. Your life and her death shall be a message to the Earth Kingdom that Firelord Ozai cannot be assassinated! I cannot be defeated!

"Your shame and your suffering shall be a message to all once I rule the four nations that I cannot be defeated and that challenging me has a cost to great to count." He said the last part while pointing to Korals body, which was surrounded by smoke.

In one swift gesture, he flung Zen to the floor.

"Get out of my sight, you pathetic excuse of a man."

***

Zen waited on the clay rooftops in the rain for Zuko's caravan to pass there. It was a street on the way to the colonies. Sure enough, he'd stopped his entourage and noticed the dual swords stuck in the ground on either side of the road. Stealing them had made Zen lose more sleep than he would've preferred, but the touch was necessary: it showed he chose not to kill Zuko in his sleep but instead took the swords resting above him on the mantle piece.

Zen stopped down and pulled his mask off so he could wipe the water from his eyes. He wanted Zuko to see his face. He felt the rain soak into his clothes like the rage and shame he'd stored all these years for this very moment.

"So, you're the Gemini, Zen?" Zuko asked in slightly annoyed tone as he stepped from the carriage. His bodyguards circled around their master, but Zuko ordered them back.

Zuko pulled his swords from the road and threw them to the ground.

"I don't have time to fight you. My sister's about to try and start another war between our nations. If you want that to happen, go ahead and kill me," Zuko put his arms down, completely defenseless. Still, there was enough ground between Zen and Zuko that he could still mount a defense.

It's a trick, Zen thought.

"I don't think you want another war and if that's the case, I have something here for you. Or should I say, someone?"

It was then a man with a sword and a bob in the back of his head came out of the carriage. He was dressed in fine silk robes and in his hands was something wrapped in bandages from head to tow, but there was the unmistakable brown hair at the top.

The swordsman said, "My name is Master Piandao, we found her when we rescued General Iroh from the fire nation. He said she was in a neighboring cell and was badly injured. She only regained the ability to speak a week ago. Once Iroh knew you were coming after the Fire Lord here, he called for me and told me to bring her to you."

Zen dropped his spear and approached the group. He could not discern much but her eyes hair, and pink lips. And then he heard her unmistakable voice.

"Is that you Zen?"

"Koral!" he tried to wrap his arms around her, but Piandao pulled back saying that she was in no shape for strong hugs just yet. His throat clenched as the rain mixed with his own precipitation.

"I am sorry! I never should have abandoned you!"

"It's not your fault Zen and whatever part might be, I forgive you. I never thought I'd see you again. Locked away in that prison..."

Zen turned to his right when he heard a third person step from the carriage. It was his old adversary Mae.

"I hate to be the girl of gloom here and break this reunion up, but don't we have a revenge-crazed princess to stop?"

"She can wait a few minutes. We can give them that." Zuko said while watching the two reuinited lovers weep together.

"You have been burned so badly…" Zen said, though once he said it he immediately realized she would think he now found her hideous. He did not.

"I am fine. I have survived this long and I know that was your concern. More importantly, I am whole now. Now that I have you back with me."

* * *

"So Sokka … you said something about having a plan. We'd love to hear it now." Katara said as they all took their turns dismounting Appa.

"Actually you've heard the plan before. It's the plan that King Bumi used when the Fire Nation invaded Omashu," Sokka said.

"What?" Katara asked.

Sokka looked to Aang. "It's neutral Jin. We do nothing. For one thing, I'm kind of tired of all these epic battles we've been having. I thought once we took out the Firelord it would all be over. For another, Azula needs a grand defeat of the Earth Kingdom for the leaders of the old guard Zuko hasn't removed to even think of making her their leader again. If we don't put up a fight she'll be stuck."

"You're forgetting the fact that she would kill us if we just surrendered," Toph said. "Besides, we can take her."

Aang disagreed, "Maybe, but how many people would get hurt? What if it does start another war between the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom?"

The group walked towards the Generals tent a ways away from the actual front lines to find General How, one of Council of Five, finalizing his orders for troop movements and reading his steed for the march into the colonies.

"You want me to call off the attack and surrender?! We have 3 to 1 more men than they do. They have no chance of winning." General How said.

"Please?" Katara asked.

"You're giving Azula exactly what she wants General. If you stand down, she won't have the fight that starts up another war," Aang said.

"Stand aside Avatar. I answer to our King and he has already decreed we are to silence this show of force by the Fire Nation colonists."

"At least let me send a messenger hawk to the earth king and propose our plan to him," Sokka said, calling Hawky off of Appa. "It will take him only a few hours to get there and back with the winds we've had today."

"I appreciate all you have done for our people, young heroes, but I have my orders."

"You wouldn't be able to have any orders if we hadn't saved the earth king." Katara said. "You owe us at least half a day. You said yourself you have an overwhelming force and the colonists have no chance anyway. If they attack at dawn like Azula said and the message doesn't make it, I guess we'll have our answer."

General How halted his horse. "I too am tired of war. If there is a way to avoid us going this route, I will hear it. I will wait for you to send your message."

They waited at the tent. Toph moved some rocks up and down in the palm of her hand while holding a thistle in her toes while Katara and Aang took advantage of the break for some time alone and Sokka sparred General How in a sword duel.

Finally, as the sun set, Hawky returned in the orange sky. He circled once and swooped onto Sokka's arm and Sokka retrieved the message.

"If they attack surrender. A solution is on it's way. The solution will take care of the enemy before the fire nation will be able to take you to her."

***

Zen calmly tied his boots just outside the colony Azula was using as her headquarters. He could feel the eyes of the most loyal Fire Nation soldiers that had stayed behind from the invading force staring at him. He felt somewhat naked since now that Koral was alive, it felt wrong doing this without her, but she was in no position to fight. But he also preferred the shadows, the dark. Being a rumor and a fear than a real enemy.

Azula required something different. As far as he could tell from her movements and what he'd heard of her in the Fire Nation, this girl had no real fears. So while he could've gone covert to scare away her minions, it was Azula he needed to make afraid.

It wasn't long before fire nation soldiers in full wargear came out to greet him. Twenty at least. Zen calmed himself, knowing he wasn't supposed to fight them. Focus, he told himself. And then he remembered what Koral had said that night:

"You don't have to do this Zen. I am here, your honor was never broken," Koral said to him while they laid in the tent together and stared into each others eyes by candle light.

"It's not about my honor. It's not about failing last time, Koral. I can stop this. Everyone else did so much and I... I ran away after I lost you. I will come back to you, I swear it, but enough people have been hurt. We may not have been able to end the last war, but I can quash this... Azula before she starts another one."

_She pulled him close before he got up to leave. "You will come back Zen. Fate would not keep us apart just to separate us again. You will defeat her."_

_"You sound so sure." Zen said as he pulled the tent flap open._

_"You are a gemini, your stength is not just of one. As long as you hold to that, nothing can defeat you."_

Pulling his scarf over his mouth, Zen looked to the fire nation soldiers. They were within a handshake of him. His colors of dark green and black garb made them curious while weary of him. They were far too close for the kind of exchange that was about to occuer.

"I am Luetanant Lee. Who are you? What are you doing here?" The first soldier said.

Zen brought his spear up to bear and from behind his back. At the same time, he used his feet to bend the sand behind the firebenders to sink four feet down. As all of them took their defensive stance, all but two fell into the trap and he bent the sand back up around everything but their necks and some of their shoulders.

They were slow, they were undisciplined being in the colonies for so long. Either this was a test of his skill or Azula had more arrogance than he'd imagined. The other two soldiers started to shift their hands and bring the fire to bear on him when Zen put his hand to the ground and brough up a rock wall that took the full brunt.

Zen kicked the wall and sent it flying on top of the firebenders. They flayled tring to avoid the wall, but it came crashing down and kept their while bodies weighed down.

"Who are you?" The Luetenant asked from his hole.

"I am Zen, a Gemini. When I return to free you Luetenant, I will apologize for this."

The walk into the colony was unfettered, but Zen could feel the eyes. He did not know how many he could feel rustling on the boards through his earthbending, he was not as that girl Toph he'd noticed with the Avatar while stalking Firelord Zuko.

Azula stepped out of one of the cottages in with her armor on. She rolled her neck a bit from a cramp and glared at her unknown adversary.

"Of course, Zu-zu would send someone else to clean up his mess," Azula taunted.

"The Firelord does not like to _repeat_ himself," Zen countered.

Her smile vanished instantly. Taunting was over, he'd struck a nerve in just a few seconds. She started to do a strange motion with her hands. He'd heard of the lightning technique, but he'd never seen it before. He didn't think she would go straight for her best attack.

_Stupid, careless._ He thought. There were many thoughts in less than a second; mostly regrets. But then he remembered the face of Koral in the tent. She was alive. And although Azula was now pointing hot electric death at him, he knew he could not be defeated.

He swivled his feet and pushed his right heel out just a bit. The earth shifted him only a foot away from where he stood, but it was far enough from the lightning, which nearly blinded him for a moment.

Azula seemed stunned, but she immediately sped up her energy-gathering motion for another blast. Zen didn't hesitate, he knew it had to be quick and had to be one move or it wouldn't matter.

Pushing his feet into the earth as he ran, Zen used the earth to actually lift his feet and propel them faster than any normal man could run. Ever step another platform would rise and he would push off it. Azula saw him coming, but he was already realizing whatever she was gathering had to be completed or it would backfire on her.

Using his free hand his grabbed Azula's wrist as lightning shot out her fingertips and leveled the nearest building wall. Dust and soot filled the air. Azula attacked his feet with a fiery kick, but Zen brought his metal spear hard down on her back before she could finish the rotation. The kick sputtered out and she staggered forward a step while Zen still clung to her arm. She tried turning the momentum and going at him with the nails of her free hand, but Zen simply brought the spear into her diaphram. Azula keeled over. Weezing for air she snarled at him wordlessly.

"Fire comes from the breath. If you can't breath, you can't bend. You've already used your best shot and now you can't even bend against me. I'm not even tired yet. I can guess your next attack and my counter to it will leave you unconscious so you have two choices right now: give up or I take you out."

Azual chose taken out. She reached for the dagger that was being used as a hair braid and threw it at her. Just like Mae would. Except she was slower since she had no air in her lungs. He'd seen it and he simply let the knife clang off his spear before brining the dull end down upon the back of her head.

Authors note:

Okay, finally a fight. Next chapter or the one after will probably wrap things up so I hope you've all enjoyed the run and thanks for sticking withme.


End file.
